Is This Goodbye?
by DisneyAnimefan94
Summary: At the end of their journey, Ash makes a decision that will effect both him and Serena.
1. Chapter 1

**Is This Goodbye?**

 **Hello everyone, DisneyAnimefan94 here and welcome to another Amourshipping fanfic. This is based on a bit dialogue between Serena and Palermo in a preview of a future episode and hinting more at what might happen with Serena at the near end of the XY series. So as always enjoy everyone.**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Pokémon!**

 **Chapter 1: Our Bittersweet Victories**

"Here's to Ash and Serena!" Bonnie cheered holding up a glass as everyone else did. A week had pasted since the Kalos League tournament where Ash had finally won an official Pokemon League. Everyone, including friends and rivals the two had made, were gathered back at Serena's place to celebrate the accomplishments of her and Ash. Serena despite falling short of becoming the next Kalos Queen, was recognized during her stunning and amazing performances at the Master Class showcase and by Aria's decree was given a spot on the Kalos Royal Court which was only given to those who were talented enough to be in, now under the title "Lady Serena".

"Wow, thanks everyone." Serena said with a smile on her face.

"Yeah, we couldn't do this without you all." Ash said as he looked at two blonde kids. "Especially you Bonnie and Clemont." Bonnie tried to hold back her tears of joy while Clemont just looked away and blushed.

"So Ash, what's next?" Bonnie asked. "Are you going to try to take on the Elite Four here?"

"I'm afraid Ash can't do that Bonnie." Her older brother responded.

"Aww, why not?" A disappointed Bonnie asked.

"You see, only those who are native to Kalos and win the Kalos League can challenge the Elite Four, but since I'm not from Kalos I can't." Ash explained while the young girl scratched her head.

"Woah, that's pretty confusing." She said as the others laughed.

"But I did her from Professor Oak that they just passed a rule saying that anyone who won a League outside their respected region, can now challenge their Elite Four back home." Ash said.

"So that means you can challenge the Kanto Elite Four now right?" Serena asked.

"Right, and I have a whole year to train and accept their challenge." Ash said.

"Wow, I'm so happy for you!" Bonnie said with a large smile on her face.

"Me too Ash, can't wait to cheer you on when you do challenge them." Serena said as Ash nodded remembering what the two talked about the day before Ash's Kalos Leauge championship match.

 **Flashback**

 _"_ _Wow Ash, I can't believe you made it this far in the tournament." Serena said as she and Ash were overlooking the stadium._

 _"_ _And I have you to thank for it Serena." Ash replied as a hint of blush appeared on Serena's face._

 _"_ _I-I didn't do anything special." She said folding her hands only to have them be taken into Ash's._

 _"_ _Your wrong Serena." Ash said as the short haired girl looked into Ash's brown eyes. "You've kept me going through this entire tournament even reminding me of the very same words I told you when we were kids, 'never give up until the end'._

 _"_ _Oh Ash…" Was all Serena could say as Ash let go of her hands and looked back at the stadium._

 _"_ _Actually there's something I want to ask you, and it's okay if you way no and you want to continue to try being Kalos Queen." Ash said as Serena was confused._

 _"_ _What do you mean Ash?" Serena asked._

 _"_ _Do you remember that day when we first met up again, and I asked you if you wanted to travel with me, Bonnie and Clemont?" Ash said looking at her as Serena nodded._

 _"_ _Well I'm going to ask that same question again, would you if you like I mean, to travel with me back to Kanto, when all of this is done?" He asked as Serena was shocked. And much like she did the first time Ash offered her a chance to travel with him, she held her fist close to her heart and then gave him a wink._

 _"_ _Of course, how could I say no to that?" She said. A smile soon crawled on Ash's face as he embraced the Kalos girl in his arms._

 _"_ _Thanks Serena." He said._

 _"_ _No Ash, thank you." Serena replied._

 **End of Flashback**

"So when do we leave for Kanto?" Serena asked.

"As soon as I let my mom know we're coming." Ash responded. "Knowing her, she probably is planning a big party for me."

"Actually, you may want to rethink that." A voice said as they all looked up to see Grace, Serena's mother with the phone in her hand. "It's for you Serena." She said as Serena was confused.

"For me?" She asked as her mom nodded. Serena got up and took the phone from her mother and walked into the other room. Everyone was in the living room in silence as they were wondering who would call Serena and what for. A while later, Serena walked back into the room with everyone looking at her. "That was the Showcase committee, they want me to become part of their tour group since I'm now part of the Royal Court." Serena said as everyone smiled.

"That means you get to perform alongside Aria." Bonnie said as Serena nodded.

"So when do you start?" Ash asked as a frown now appeared on Serena's face, making Ash worried. "Serena, what's wrong?" He asked.

"They want me to start later this week." She said stunning everyone.

"But that means you won't be able to travel with Ash." Bonnie said.

"Bonnie don't be rude!" Clemont scolded her.

"No it's alright Clemont." Serena said. "They said it's up to me to decide when to join, and they said I can step away so I can be here at home, but they want me to join right away." She paused a little with a sad smile then appearing on her face. "This is my closest that I can get to being a top performer." She said as Ash then looked at her knowing how hard she worked to be in that spot. A little while after that the party had ended as Serena said goodbye to the friends she made since joining Ash. Clemont and Bonnie were going to stay over until the next day before saying their goodbyes to Ash and Serena. That night everyone was asleep all except for Ash and Pikachu who were outside looking at the stars. 

"Hey Pikachu?" Ash said as his partner looked up only to see his longtime friend with tears streaming down his face.

"Pika Pi." The yellow mouse said with his ears now drooping worried for his trainer.

"I think I'm going to do something that I'm going to regret." He said with his fists clinched.

 **And Cliffhanger! I bet you all know what might happen next. But if not tune in next time to see what happens next. So until next time,**

 **This is DisneyAnimefan94 signing out.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Hi everyone, DisneyAnimefan94 here and welcome back to Is This Goodbye, so hope you all enjoy this next chapter.**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Pokémon!**

 **Chapter 2: A Heartbreaking Farewell**

 _"_ _It's for you Serena." Grace said as Serena was confused._

 _"_ _For me?" She asked as her mother nodded. Serena got up, took the phone from her mother and walked into the other room. She then took the phone up to her ear and spoke into it. "Hello?" She asked._

 _"_ _Hello Serena." A familiar voice on the other end said as Serena recognized who it was._

 _"_ _Oh hello Palermo." Serena said. "What can I do for you ma'am?" She asked._

 _"_ _I wanted to offer you something after your Master Class performance with Aria, but you and your friends left in such a hurry I never got a chance to ask." She said as Serena was embarrassed by this._

 _"_ _Right, sorry about that." Serena said as she heard the elder chuckle._

 _"_ _Oh, that's alright." Palermo replied. "You have such wonderful friends, that it's no wonder that Aria made you a part of the Royal Court." She said. "Which brings me to my offer to you." Serena was confused at this._

 _"_ _What kind of offer?" Serena asked._

 _"_ _Well, I was brought into a meeting with the Kalos Showcase committee, and they have been amazed at how far you've come since your debut back in Coumarine City, and have decided to put you on its official team tour roster, meaning you will get a chance to perform alongside Aria." Palermo explained as Serena was surprised by this._

 _"_ _Wow really?" She asked_

 _"_ _Yes, and they want you to start right away, by the end of this week of course." The elderly woman said as Serena was then shocked. "Of course you don't have to do this." She said. "But if you do, not only will you'll be seen as a top performer, but you will have to dedicate all of your work to your performances." Serena was troubled by this as she looked back to the living room to see everyone still enjoying themselves, especially Ash as she could feel her own heart skip a beat. "Serena, are you there?" Palermo asked as Serena gave her attention back to the phone._

 _"_ _Uh, yeah I'll think about it, but I'll let you know before the end of the week." Serena answered._

 _"_ _Very well Serena." Palermo replied. "And remember if you do decided to do this, you can be an inspiration to future Pokémon Performers, just like Aria was for you." Serena smiled and said her thanks before hanging up. She let out a sigh and was walking back to the living room, all the while keeping her eyes on the raven haired boy from Kanto._

 _"_ _Oh Ash…" She said as she was going to announce the news to everyone._

 **One Day Later**

The sun rose over Serena's house as she got up and stretched. She looked and saw Braixen, Pancham and Sylveon still asleep at the foot of her bed as she smiled down at them. She then turned her attention towards the window and looked out at it. The conversation she had with Palermo the night before still crept into her mind. Of course she wanted to join and be a top performer like her friend Aria, but she didn't want to leave Ash's side either. She had felt torn between two roads, one led to the path of performing and the other with the one that she loved the most. Later, she was already dressed as then had a smile on her face.

"Okay, time to wake up Ash, since he's a deep sleeper." She said with a hint of blush crept on her face just thinking on how she would wake him up. She slowly opened the door to the guest room and walked in. But much to her surprise, Ash's bed was already made and there was no sign of him or Pikachu. "That's weird, where are those two?" She asked. She then went into the living room where she saw Bonnie and Clemont. "Morning Bonnie, morning Clemont." She said as the two siblings looked to see the young performer and smiled.

"Morning Serena." The two replied back, while Serena's three Pokémon greeted Bonnie's.

"Have you guy's seen Ash this morning?" She asked as there was a confused look on both of their faces.

"No, afraid not." Clemont replied.

"Shouldn't he be in bed since he's the last one to wake up?" Bonnie asked.

"He is but he's not in the guest room." Serena said now looking worried. "I wonder where he is." Clemont then walked over to her and gave a comforting smile.

"Don't worry Serena, he's probably outside with Pikachu." He said.

"Yeah, let's go look." Bonnie said as the three walked out. But as they searched around the outside of the house, they couldn't find him. Serena then suggested they looked in the next town which was just a walk over from her place, with her Pokémon going alongside them. But when they arrived, no one they asked had seen the Kanto native, which made Serena even more worried as they walked back to her house.

"That doesn't make any sense, where could Ash be." She said wrapping her arms around her.

"I don't know Serena." Clemont said. "But I know he wouldn't leave without an explanation."

"I hope your right." Serena said letting out a sigh. When they arrived back at her house they found her mom in the kitchen with a piece of paper in her hand.

"Serena, dear, I think you should read this." Grace said with a voice of sadness in her voice. Serena then rushed over to her mom and snatched the paper from her. She read the writing on the paper as she then gasped. She then dropped the paper as her red fedora then covered her face.

"Ash…why?" She said as tears came down her face as she than ran out the house, with her three Pokémon following her.

"Serena!" Both Clemont and Bonnie called out as Serena then slammed the door behind her.

"Big Brother, what happened?" Bonnie asked as Clemont had a stern look on his face.

"We're about to find out." The young gym leader said as he with his sister behind her walked over to the paper, and picked it up as they began to read the note.

 ** _Serena, everyone,_**

 ** _I'm sorry but, I'm afraid I have to leave without saying goodbye to any of you. I think it's for the best if it's this way, so you all can follow your dreams. Clemont, I know you'll be a great inventor as well as a gym leader. Bonnie, you were like a little sister to me that I never had. I want to thank you for taking care of my Pokémon. I know with that kind of attitude, you will be one awesome trainer. And Serena, I hope you don't take this too hard, but you should really take up the offer of performing alongside Aria. Ever since you finally found your dream, I was so proud of you, and I didn't want to take away that dream by taking you back home with me. Who knows maybe you'll get another shot at being Kalos Queen one day, and when that day does come, I'll come racing back to you. So for now everyone, guess this is goodbye. Look out for each other like we did on our journey as a family, and Serena, my heart will always be with you, even a thousand miles apart._**

 ** _Sincerely,_**

 ** _Ash Ketchum_**

As they finished reading the letter, Bonnie had tears coming out of her eyes as well as Dedenne while Clemont putting a comforting hand on his little sister's shoulder tried to hold back his tears.

"So that's it then." He simply said looking down. Meanwhile Serena was running into the nearby woods of her home with Pokémon in tow she finally stopped as she let out a cry that echoed in the sky. And on a plane heading for the Kanto region, Ash gasped as he could feel an emotional pain in his heart as he clinched it with his hand.

"It's so weird Pikachu." He said as his partner looked up at him. "It's like I could feel Serena's pain as if I'm connected to her like I am with Greninja when he's in that other form." He then looked outside the window to see Kalos fading in the nearby distance. "Pikachu, I hope I didn't do something I'll regret later." Back in Kalos, after calming down Serena returned back to her house as she said goodbye to Clemont and Bonnie. After saying goodbye she walked into the kitchen and picked up the phone and dialed a number on it.

"Hello, Palermo here."

 **And that's it for this chapter but not this story, so let me know what you all think and tune next time as the story continues. So for now,**

 **This is DisneyAnimefan94, signing out.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Hi everyone, DisneyAnimefan94 here and welcome back to Is This Goodbye. So just wanted to say thank you all for supporting my latest fanfic, it means a lot to me. So as always enjoy.**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Pokémon!**

 **Chapter 3: The Journey Home**

"Yeah mom, I'm back in Vermillion, and I'll be back home in a couple of days." Ash said talking to his mom on the phone in the Pokémon Center. "Yeah I'm sure I don't need you or Professor Oak to come pick me up, I'm use to walking." He said with a small smile on his face. "Okay mom, see you at home, love you." He said hanging up the phone. Just then the chime in the center sounded as Nurse Joy came out with four Pokeballs and Pikachu.

"Here you are Ash, all your Pokémon are healed." She said with a smile on her face as Ash smiled back.

"Thanks Nurse Joy." He said gathering the four red and white spheres, while the yellow mouse hopped on his shoulder. "Well are you ready buddy?" Ash asked his partner.

"Pikachu!" His partner replied as Ash smiled.

"Well then let's go." He said as he ran out the center and looked out at the Vermillion City. "Can't believe we're back after a long time." He said as his partner agreed. "Well let's…" Just then Ash had a sudden flash back of Serena smiling at him as he stopped. He then turned around and thought he saw Serena running towards him.

 _"_ _Come on Ash, I can't wait to see Pallet Town again."_ The image of Serena said as it then disappeared. Ash then rubbed his eyes as if he thought he was seeing things.

"Pikachu?" The electric type asked as Ash snapped out of his daze.

"Sorry Pikachu, I thought I was seeing things." Ash said looking down at his partner. "Come on let's get going." He said as he walked ahead while his partner looked worried. After many days of traveling, Ash and Pikachu had finally made it back to their home town. They both smiled as they saw the town on the hill they stood on. "There it is buddy home." Ash said as Pikachu nodded. "Come on, last one home is a rotten Poké egg!" He said as the two raced down the hill. They were on their way down when Ash saw a group of nearby trees and stopped. Ash looked closer as he thought he saw a pair of familiar kids. He walked towards the trees as he was surprised at what he saw. It was a younger version of him and Serena. He saw as his younger self put a familiar blue handkerchief around the younger Serena's leg and helped her up that let to them hugging for a brief moment. That moment made Ash's heart once again skip a beat as he got hold of it as he saw the two kids fade away. "Serena…" He said lowering his head with his hat covering his eyes as a tear came streaming down his face. "I'm so sorry."

"Pikachu?" A voice said as Ash then raided his head to see Pikachu on his shoulder.

"I can't help it bud, no matter how many times I try, I can still see her." He said as his partner let out a sad sound. "Come on, let's head for home." He said as they walked out of the small woods. They finally arrived at his house, but as they opened the door…

"SURPRISE!" A group of familiar faces to Ash yelled as he was caught off guard. Ash knew when he returned the last few times it was only his Mom, Professor Oak and Tracy. But this time much to his surprise it was also Misty, Borck, May, Max, Dawn, Iris and Cilan too.

"Everyone…" He said as he then saw him mom approach.

"Welcome home Ash." Delia said as she hugged her son. "And congrats on winning the Kalos League."

"Yes, you've done well representing us my boy." Professor Oak said with a nod. "Gary sends his congrats as well, sadly he couldn't make it here."

"That's okay professor." Ash said as he looked at everyone else. "But what are you all doing here?" He asked.

"We came here after you won the Kalos League to surprise you." Cilan said.

"And we also got a call from your friend Misty to tell us all to meet you here." Dawn said continuing the explanation.

"And while everyone else was getting ready for your surprise party, I kept watch outside of Pallet Town to see if you were getting closer." Iris said.

"Well thanks everyone." Ash said as all his friends nodded.

"Well, let's get this party started!" Misty said as everyone agreed as the party began. Everyone even let out all of their Pokémon as a certain Buneary got reacquainted with Pikachu. Ash smiled as he saw the two friend reunite but he then frowned as it reminded him of him and Serena. He then turned to the kitchen where once again it happened as he saw an image of Serena.

 _"_ _Isn't this a great party Ash?"_ The image asked as just then Ash felt a hand on his shoulder as he looked up to see his mom.

"Ash, are you okay son?" She asked as Ash looked back at the area where the image of Serena stood as it was gone.

"Yeah, I'm okay." Ash said.

"Are you sure? Because you've been quiet since you came back." Delia said as Ash looked at her mother's eyes, the kind that knew he was lying. "Ash what's really going on?" She asked as Ash let out a sigh.

"Mom, can I talk to you alone in my room?" Ash asked as his mother nodded. The two walked upstairs as everyone stopped to see the two walk silently upstairs. Everyone in the room had worried looks on their faces.

"Does Ash seem okay to you guys?" May asked. "He looks a bit pale."

"I'll say." Brock agreed. "He's been a bit quite since the party began.

"Not our Ash, he's tough." Max said. "I'm sure he'll come around."

"I hope you're right Max." Misty said with a worried look on her face. Meanwhile in Ash's room, the young trainer was on his bed, his hands clamped together with his head down, and his mom with her arms folded.

"Ash, you're beginning to worry me." Ash's mother said. "What's going on Ash?" Ash let out a sigh as he looked up at his mom.

"It's about Serena." Ash said as his mom then looked concerned as she listened to what he'd had to say.

 **And that's a good place to stop. So hope you all enjoyed it and stay tuned for more Is This Goodbye.**

 **This is DisneyAnimefan94, signing out**


	4. Chapter 4

**Hello everyone, DisneyAnimefan94 here and welcome back to Is This Goodbye. So here we go with Chapter 4 and as always I hope you all enjoy.**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Pokémon!**

 **Chapter 4: The Realization**

The party at the Ketchum residence grew awfully quiet. All of Ash's friends and Professor Oak were in the living room waiting for Ash and his mom to come out of his room, as they were there for a long time. Just then they heard the door open from the upstairs part of the house as they saw only Delia walk down with a frown on her face. She told everyone what Ash told her as they were all shocked.

"HE DID WHAT!?" They all exclaimed out loud, as it was even loud to spoke Mr. Mime in the kitchen cleaning up.

"But I don't understand." Dawn said. "How could Ash just dump Serena like that? I thought they were together."

"What a kid. That's low even for him." Iris agreed.

"THAT'S ONE OF THE DUMBEST THINGS TO DO IN THE NAME OF LOVE!" Brock shouted out loud scaring the pants off everyone as he then realized what he said and calmed down. "Sorry, that was rude of me wasn't it." He said as everyone nodded in response.

"But that still doesn't mean that Ash should've just left her behind, she said it herself that after her showcase contests, she wanted to continue to travel with Ash." May said.

"But what could've made him just leave her like that?" Cilan asked. Just then Mr. Mime walked in and turned on the TV as a commercial came on.

"Coming this Sunday to Lumiose City in the Kalos Region, see the biggest gathering the best Pokemon Performers from around the world, which will include a performance by current Kalos Queen Aria and the members of the Kalos Royal Court including new member Lady Serena!" A image of Serena appeared on screen as everyone gasped. "So tune in this Sunday for the biggest performance ever." The commercial ended as everyone just realized what happened.

"So that's why Ash left her behind." May said.

"So she could continue at being a performer." Dawn continued.

"Ash, really does care about Serena." Max said. "Even if it meant leaving her so she could accomplish her dream." Everyone agreed to that as Misty came to a realization.

"Wait a minute that's it!" She said as everyone looked at her.

"What's it Misty?" Tracy asked.

"Hasn't it occurred to you all that all the times in the past, Ash was sad but okay with us leaving." Misty said as everyone looked at each other.

"What's your point Misty?" Iris asked.

"The point is, all those time when it was our time to part with Ash, yeah he was sad but he was glad because we were going to accomplish our dreams." Misty began explaining. "Think about it, did he ever hesitate and begged us to stay with him, no. But with Serena, Bonnie and Clemont it was different. Remember all the letters he written to us about his journeys? It always sounded like he enjoyed his time with the three, especially Serena and never wanted the journey with them to end. But when both Serena and Ash ended their journeys at the Kalos League and Master Class Showcase, Ash found that it was hard to leave them, because they all acted like a family, not saying that each of us had that experience while traveling with him of course." Everyone nodded as Iris also came to a conclusion.

"So your saying, even though Ash didn't want to leave Serena, he had to in order for her so she can continue her dream." She said as Misty nodded.

"As well as the others." Misty said reminding them of Clemont and Bonnie. She then got up from her seat and walked over to the staircase that led up to Ash's room. "I'm going to talk to Ash." She then walked up the stairs as everyone was hoping she would get through to him. Inside of Ash's room, the young trainer was on his back with his hands on the back of his head. He once again saw an image of a smiling Serena as he led out a sigh and turned to his side as his Pikachu was growing worried. Just then there was a knock on the door as Ash looked up. "Ash, it's me Misty, can I come in?" Misty's voice asked from the other side of the door.

"Sure." Ash said plainly as the door opened as the Cerulean Gym Leader came in.

"Ash, we need to talk." Misty said with her hands on her hips. "You've got to stop being all gloomy and stuff, it isn't healthy for you." She said as Ash looked away from her. "We know why you left Serena." She said causing Ash to look up back at her. "You did it because you cared about her didn't you?" She asked as Ash sat up.

"Of course I care about Serena, but what choice did I have, I didn't want to take her away from her dream." Ash said as Misty nodded.

"I know, we just saw a commercial that she's going to be in her first performance with Aria soon." Misty said. "But that doesn't mean you had to break her heart!" She yelled at him as he looked angrily at her.

"I didn't mean to break her heart!" Ash yelled back as his hands gripped the edge of his bed mattress. "I just didn't want her to stop her dream if I stayed there any longer." He then shot an angry stare at her. "Besides, it's not like you had feelings for me or anything." This made Misty mad as she was about to burst.

"You're wrong Ash Ketchum, I did have feelings for you during our journeys together!" She said as Ash was shocked as Misty's face turned red and looked away. "Wait that's not what I meant." She said as Ash crossed his arms and raised an eyebrow. "Okay that's what I meant." Misty said looking back at him. "But what I'm trying to say is, your mind made up the decision of leaving Serena behind to achieve her dream, but what does your heart tell you?" Ash then looked down and stayed quiet for a while making Misty worried. "Ash?" She asked as Ash looked up at her.

"That I made the stupidest choice in my life, and I shouldn't have left her behind." He said with a smile on his face as Misty smiled back. Ash then got up from his bed and looked at her. "Thanks Misty, I needed that talk." He said.

"Sure thing Ash." Misty said.

"Though I do have one question though, when you said you had feelings for me, did you really mean that?" He asked as Misty nodded. "Wow now that's the second most dumbest thing to do and I didn't notice it." Misty then let out a giggle as Ash looked confused.

"Yes it was." Misty said. "But that was a long time ago and things have changed. You went on going from region to region, participating in gym battles and league tournaments, and now you've reunited with your childhood friend, and fallen in love with her." She said. "Me? I move on to being the main gym leader of Cerulean City, and now I'm with Tracy." She said as Ash rubbed his nose a bit.

"Guess we both changed huh?" He said as Misty looked at him and nodded. "Well, I guess there's just one more thing to do." He said as he then walked out of the room with Pikachu trailing after him. He then walked down the stairs where he was greeted by his friends.

"Ash are you alright?" Brock asked.

"Yeah, we were so worried." Dawn said as Ash smiled.

"Yeah, I'm fine everyone, thanks." He said. "Listen, I'm sorry about worrying everyone with the way I was acting." He said. "And I think I'm ready." He said as his friends were confused.

"Ready for what Ash?" Iris asked.

"To go back to Kalos, I think I left something over there." He said as everyone was smiling knowing what he meant. "But for now, let's keep this party going!" He said as everyone cheered. Early the next morning, Ash and his friends got up and got into separate cars and made their way back to Vermillion City as they took Ash to the Vermillion airport.

"Okay are you sure you have everything?" His mom said patting his clothes down and readjusting his hat on his head.

"Yeah mom, I'm sure." He said as his mom smiled.

"Good." She said as an announcement over the sound system came on for the final boarding call for the plane he was going to be on. "Alright Ash." Delia said as she hugged her son. "It's time to go again." Ash nodded as they broke the hug as he looked at everyone else.

"Good luck Ash." Brock said.

"Have a safe trip." May said as everyone was giving the Pallet Town trainer their goodbyes.

"Thanks everyone, I'm so lucky to have friends like you." He said as everyone gave him a group hug. "Alright I think it's time for me to get on." He said as everyone broke the hug and nodded as he looked at Pikachu who was on his shoulder. "Ready bud?" He asked.

"Pikachu." The yellow mouse said as they quickly made their way to their plane. Everyone smiled as a tear came down Delia's face.

"What's wrong Mrs. Ketchum?" Misty asked.

"Nothing Misty." Delia said. "It's just that, my little Ash is growing up." Professor Oak gave an agreeing not.

"True, he's not that boy that woke up late and ran to my lab in his pajamas anymore." He said as everyone nodded. Meanwhile, Ash just barely got on the plane as he took his seat. The plane then slowly began to take off as he and Pikachu looked out the window to see the plane just starting to get off the ground.

"By everyone." He said with a smile on his face. He then turned away from the window as images of his three friends from Kalos came into his mind. "Clemont, Bonnie and Serena, I'm coming back." He said to himself as an image of a smiling Serena came into his mind as he smiled. "Especially you Serena."

 **And that's it for this chapter, the conclusion is coming soon so be ready for it. And as always let me know what you thought of it in the reviews. So for now,**

 **This is DisneyAnimefan94, signing out.**


	5. Chapter 5

**Hi everyone, DisneyAnimefan94, and welcome to the conclusion to Is This Goodbye. So once again thanks everyone for supporting this story. So I hope you all enjoy.**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Pokémon!**

 **Chapter 5: A Joyous Reunion**

The day had come in Kalos for the big Showcase Festival performance in Lumiose City. The big event was taking inside the Lumiose Gym with the entire gym floor was rearranged into a performance stage with the help of Clemont, his father, Bonnie and Clembot. While Monsieur Pierre was doing the introductions, backstage Aria, Serena and various other Pokemon Performers including Serena's friends Shauna, Miette and Nini were getting ready to show off their performances. Serena had just finished putting on the dress her mother gave her for the first performance she ever done. But when she looked in the mirror, she was instantly reminded of Ash who was comforting her following her debut loss, as a frown was now on her face.

"Ash…" She said sadly as there was knock on the door of the room she was in. "Come in." She said as the door opened to reveal Aria.

"Hey Serena, are you ready?" The Kalos Queen asked as Serena nodded. "Uh oh, I see a frown on your face." Aria said as she walked over to Serena. "Remember what I've always told you?" She asked as Serena nodded.

"Always perform with a smile." She said as she wore a small smile on her face until she looked back down.

"You're thinking about him again, aren't you?" Aria asked as Serena gave a small nod. "Look, I'm sure Ash didn't mean to leave you." She said

"I know, but I can't help it." Serena said. "I miss him so much." Then much to the young honey blonde's surprise, Aria pulled her into a hug.

"Hey, I know how you feel." The current Kalos Queen said.

"You do?" Serena asked.

"Yeah, I had this boy who was my friend since childhood too." Aria explained. "And when I told him I was going into performing, he would support me every step of the way, just like Ash did for you." She said as she then wore a small frown on her face. "But when I won the position of Kalos Queen, it meant we had to go our separate ways, but I always remember him saying that he would still cheer me on, even though we're far away from each other." Aria and Serena then broke the hug as Aria smiled at her. "I know Ash didn't mean to leave you, and who knows, I bet you somewhere he's going to watch you right now, ready to have the time of your life." This made Serena smile as Aria smiled back. "See? That's the Serena Smile I know." Serena nodded.

"Thanks Aria." Serena said as Aria nodded as she walked towards the door.

"Ready?" She asked as Serena nodded as the both walked out the door. There they were greeted by Nini, Shauna and Miette.

"Hey Serena." Shauna said. "Are you doing alright?" She asked as Serena nodded. She then looked at Miette who was looking away from the group.

"Serena, I…I…" The light blue haired girl said as Serena walked over to her put a hand on her shoulder and smiled. When Serena told her friends that Ash left, Miette was feeling bad for the way she treated Serena, teasing her getting Ash's attention when they met up.

"Hey, I forgave you a long time ago." Serena said with a smile as Miette looked up.

"Really?" She asked as the short haired girl nodded.

"Yup, as one of Ash's friends always told him no need to worry." She said as Miette smiled and nodded.

"Well are you girls ready?" Aria asked as the girls nodded. "Then let's go." She said leading them to the main stage. But on their way over, Serena noticed a commotion going on with the staff.

"I'm sorry son, but you're not allowed back here." One of the crewmen said.

"I don't care, I have to see her!" A familiar voice said catching Serena's attention more.

"That voice." Serena said. "It can't be." She said as she separating herself from the group.

"Serena!" The four other girls shouted at her. But she didn't listen as she ran to the voice. Sure enough when she got there she gasped placing a hand over her mouth as she saw Ash and Pikachu, struggling to get through pass the crewmen.

"I can't believe it." She said, as she then moved closer. "Ash!" She shouted out as Ash looked at her.

"Serena!" Ash shouted back as he once again tried to get past the crewmen.

"What is going on here?" Aria's voice rang out as Serena looked back to see Aria and her friends.

"Queen Aria, we caught this boy breaking in, but we'll send him out soon." The crewmen said.

"Let him through." Aria said as the crewmen gasped.

"But Queen Aria." The crewman protested.

"No buts, this boy just happens to be a friend of ours, so let him through." She said as the crewmen looked at each other and nodded letting Ash go. Serena smiled as she ran over to the Kanto native and hugged him as he hugged back. Pikachu then leapt off his trainer as all the while a muffled cry and tears streaming down her face.

"Serena…" Ash said holding her closer. They stood there a bit longer while Aria and the other girls smiled at the sight. When Serena stopped crying, the two broke the hug. "Serena, I'm so sorry for leaving you." Ash said. "I thought if I left, you could continue your dream without me holding you back." He then looked down. "But instead I made things a lot worse, and I'm sorry for breaking your heart." Just then he felt, Serena's hand on his chin as she lifted his head to face her.

"I know you meant well." She said as she got closer to him. "I'm just so glad you're back." She then leaned in as she gave him a kiss, as Ash didn't hesitate to kiss back. Just then a stage manager came up to them, as the two broke the kiss.

"What are you all still doing?" The manager asked. "Queen Aria, Lady Serena, you're both on in five minutes." She said as everyone gasped.

"Serena, you got to go." Ash said as Serena nodded.

"Hey Ash," Aria called out to the boy as he looked at the Kalos Queen. "How would you like to see Serena and I up close?" She asked as Ash smiled.

"That would be awesome." Ash said as he looked at his partner. "Right Pikachu?"

"Pika!" Pikachu said happily. Aria quickly guided Ash and the other girls to the side of stage.

"There you go, best seats in the house." Aria said as she glanced at Serena. "Serena, come on, we'd better get ready." Serena nodded as she took one quick look at Ash.

"You're gonna love this Ash." She said with a wink as she followed Aria. Ash was confused as just then the lights on the stage came on with Monsieur Pierre on stage.

"Sorry for the wait everyone, and thank you for your patients." He said. "And now madams and misours, it is with my pleasure to present Kalos Queen Aria, and Lady Serena." He said as the stage floor from behind him raised as Aria and Serena appeared. Aria had her Delphox and Aromatisse, while Serena had her Braixen and Sylveon. Together the two had performed a magnificent performance with a combination of fairy type and fire type moves. Ash all the while looked at Serena, she looked beautiful, elegant and having fun. He instantly had flashbacks of Serena's past performances during her Showcase contests.

 _Man, how could I leave someone that beautiful behind?_ He thought to himself. The performance ended as Serena and Aria took their bows and exited the stage.

"That was beautiful Serena." Ash said as Serena giggled.

"Thanks Ash." Serena said. Soon it was the other performers, including Miette, Shauna and Nini. After the show was over, Ash waited for Serena outside her dressing room. As she got out the two smiled at each other.

"Ready to surprise the others?" Serena asked referring to Clemont and Bonnie.

"You bet." Ash said as Pikachu agreed. The three then walked out to an empty stage where, Clemont, and Clembot were working with the other crew to deconstruct the stage, while Bonnie was playing with Dedenne in the stands.

"Hey Clemont, Bonnie!" Serena called out as the two blondes looked up at her. "You can never guess who came back." She said as she motioned to Ash to come out. When he did Clemont and Bonnie gasped in surprise.

"Ash!" They both shouted as they rushed over to him and hugged him.

"Ash, I'm so glad you're back!" Bonnie said.

"Me too Ash, welcome back." Clemont said.

"Thanks you guys." Ash said, as Serena got close to them.

"Now that we're all reunited, there's something I need to tell you all." Serena said as she made her announcement as it shocked everyone.

"What!?" They all asked as Serena nodded.

"But why Serena, I thought this was your dream." Clemont asked as Serena shook her head.

"You're right it was my dream, but I felt this was the easy way." Serena said. "So I talked to Aria about it and when I told her, she agreed with me. But she'll still say I'm always welcome to come back, if she still remains Kalos Queen that is." She said as Ash put a hand on her shoulder.

"Well I think you made the right decision Serena." Ash said. "But what are you going to do then?"

"Well Aria told me that the Johto Region are planning on doing their own Showcases soon to grown their first Johto Queen." Serena answered. "She even told me to tell you that there's a new Battle Frontier opening up in Johto. It's supposed to be made up of the Sinnoh Battle Brains and she thought it was a good way to get ready for your Kanto Elite Four challenge in a year."

"Well, what do you say guys." Ash said. "Want to go on one more journey?"

"Well of course!" Bonnie said. "We want to go on one more journey with you, right Dedenne?" She asked he small orange mouse as it agreed.

"It'll be wonderful traveling together again." Clemont agreed, Ash smiled as he looked at Serena.

"And how could I say no to that." She said with a wink.

"Now that's what I like to hear." Ash said as he pulled Serena into his embrace. "As long as I'm with you." He then pulled Serena into a loving kiss.

"Hey, what about the rest of us?" Bonnie cried out as Ash and Serena laughed. Together, just like the first time they all met up, they all put their hands on top of one another, including Pikachu and Dedenne.

"So, what do you say guys?" Ash asked. "To Johto?"

"To Johto!" Everyone said raising their hands in the air. A few days later, after helping cleaning up the Lumiose Gym, Ash, Serena, Clemont, Bonnie, Pikachu and Dedenne, were boarding a flight bound for the Johto region, Clemont and Bonnie sat together, as well as Ash and Serena.

"This is just like a whole new beginning isn't it?" Serena asked.

"It sure is Serena, it sure is." Ash said as they leaned in for another kiss. As the flight was already underway, Serena had laid her head on Ash's shoulders. Ash smiled as he stroked Serena's short honey blonde hair. "I'm just glad this isn't goodbye."

 **The End!**

 **So there you all go everyone, hope you all enjoyed it. Now before anyone says anything about Serena stepping down, remember Dawn went to go work for a magazine company after the Diamond and Pearl series was over, but then went to Hoenn. And also by the time of this chapter's release, yes I have seen the dance episode, and no I am not upset that Ash and Serena didn't dance with each other, hopefully we will get an eventual Ash and Serena focused episode. But until then, again thank you all for your support and until next time,**

 **This is DisneyAnimefan94, signing out.**


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